Our Cruising Fulltime is Over

The news isn't quite a worse-case scenario, but it's certainly not good.

As I mentioned in an earlier travel log, Villa Vie Odyssey had been experiencing significant financial difficulties and was in the midst of a restructuring effort. At the time, there appeared to be a very positive path forward. A potential investor had expressed serious interest in partnering with Villa Vie, signed a Letter of Intent, and entered a 30-to-45-day period to finalize the agreement. When we left the ship in early September for medical reasons, there was genuine optimism that things would soon turn around.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

The deal ultimately collapsed. I don't know all the details, but it appears that difficulties with financing and banking support may have played a role.

At the time, the Odyssey was docked in Cambodia. Residents aboard the ship were informed that there was no money available to purchase fuel. The captain, acting responsibly and with safety as the top priority, explained that without fuel the ship could not continue operating. If funds could not be secured, everyone would need to leave the vessel.

Villa Vie's management issued another "cash call" to residents in an attempt to raise money for fuel. This was reportedly the third or fourth such request in recent months. By that point, many residents had grown weary of contributing additional funds and were unwilling to risk more money.

The needed funds were not raised, and residents were officially told they had to disembark. They were given approximately seven hours' notice, although they had been aware for about a day that such an outcome was possible. Roughly 200 residents were still living aboard at the time. Others had already departed or were away on independent travel.

What followed was a frantic scramble. People had to pack whatever belongings they could gather, book hotels on short notice, and make immediate arrangements for an uncertain future. By all accounts, the situation was stressful, chaotic, and emotionally draining. In many ways, we were relieved not to be there when it happened.

When we left the Odyssey in September and returned to Arizona, we intentionally took most of our important possessions with us. We understood there was always a chance we might not be able to return. However, some belongings remain on the ship, and at this point we're unsure how or when we might be able to retrieve them. We are far from alone in this situation, as many former residents are facing the same uncertainty.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that many residents were working on a "Plan B" in case the investor deal fell through. The idea was to form a co-op, purchase the Odyssey themselves, and operate the ship as a resident-owned community. For a while, it seemed like a realistic backup plan and perhaps the last remaining opportunity to keep the ship operating.

Unfortunately, that plan has now fallen apart as well. For a variety of reasons, several of the key organizers and planners decided not to move forward, and the effort ultimately dissolved.

At this point, Villa Vie is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. What the future holds for the Odyssey is anyone's guess. Our immediate hope is that some arrangement can be made to return residents' personal belongings to their rightful owners.

We're deeply saddened that our full-time cruising adventure has come to an end. I thoroughly enjoyed the seven months I was able to spend living and traveling aboard the ship, and I would have gladly continued for years if the opportunity had remained.

Under our original occupancy agreement with Villa Vie, the company offered a buy-back program. Because we lived aboard for less than a year, they were obligated to repurchase our cabin for 60% of our original purchase price. On paper, we are owed a substantial amount of money. Realistically, however, I have serious doubts that we'll ever see those funds.

As disappointing as our situation is, there are former residents facing far greater losses. Some invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into what they hoped would be a lifetime voyage and have now lost most, if not all, of that investment. Compared to them, we're fortunate. Still, it's a difficult ending to what was, for a time, an extraordinary experience.

On a more positive note, my medical situation turned out to be much better than originally feared. The doctors here in Arizona had a different opinion than the doctor I saw in Vietnam, and fortunately, surgery was not necessary. Hopefully, it never will be.

Of course, we're still deeply disappointed by the loss of our full-time cruising lifestyle. We had envisioned many more years of traveling the world aboard the Odyssey. Still, life goes on, and we're doing our best to create new adventures.

To help soften the disappointment, we've already booked a future voyage with Princess Cruises for late 2027 that will take us from Argentina and Antarctica. It's not quite the same as living at sea full-time, but it's certainly something exciting to look forward to.

Before then, we're not sitting still. In just a few days, we'll be setting out on a three-week road trip along the historic Natchez Trace, traveling from Louisiana to Tennessee while visiting friends and relatives along the way. Since we no longer have our motorhome, we'll be making the journey the old-fashioned way and staying in hotels.

Traveling has always been one of my favorite ways to explore new places and experiences. Lately, with a little more free time available, I've been channeling that sense of adventure into creating puzzle books for Amazon.

My collection currently includes nautical-themed Word Search and Crossword Puzzle books, along with an Easy Sudoku book. Medium and Hard Sudoku editions are on the way, and I have several other puzzle-book ideas waiting in the harbor.

While I know the puzzle-book world is highly competitive, creating these books has been a rewarding and enjoyable journey. If you're searching for a unique gift or something to keep you entertained during your own travels, feel free to check them out on Amazon.

I realized I'd need a new hobby to keep me busy. Last year, I sold my laser cutter and briefly considered buying another one. Connie, however, had a different suggestion: why not try 3D printing?

I decided to take her advice and purchased a Bambu Lab H2D 3D printer. The entire world of 3D printing is new to me, and I've been having a great time learning the technology, experimenting with designs, and discovering what the machine can do. It's been a welcome distraction and a fun new challenge as we begin this unexpected next chapter. 

Even with a new hobby to keep me busy, I know one thing for certain: I still need to travel. While we're excited about our upcoming road trip along the Natchez Trace, we're already thinking about the adventure after that.

In mid-December, we'll be heading north to Seattle to visit our oldest daughter. Beyond that, our calendar is still fairly open. Knowing me, that won't last long. I'm sure it won't take much time before I come up with another trip or adventure to fill the early months of 2027. If you have any suggestions, feel free to send them my way!

Meanwhile, Connie has been busy settling back into life at home. She's been reconnecting with neighbors, catching up on everything we missed while traveling, and making our house feel like home again. As for me, I have absolutely no complaints about that. One of the best parts of being back has been enjoying all the wonderful meals she's been cooking lately. After months of ship dining and restaurant food, her home cooking is a welcome treat.

As one chapter closes, another begins. While our full-time cruising dream may have come to an unexpected end, we're looking forward to discovering what new adventures await us down the road.